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Esther 2:15

in Esther 2

Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

KJV

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

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This verse in Esther 2

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
She required nothing - The other virgins perhaps loaded themselves with precious ornaments of various kinds, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, anklets, and the like. Esther let Hegai dress her as he would.

This site's exposition

she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain

on Esther 2:15-18

Esther’s turn comes and she asks for nothing beyond what Hegai appoints, a restraint JFB reads as the same wisdom that will later govern her approach to the king in chapter five, favor built rather than demanded. She obtains favour in the sight of all who see her, is taken to the king in the tenth month of the seventh year, and the king loved Esther above all the women, setting the royal crown on her head. A feast follows in her name, a release to the provinces, and gifts according to the state of the king, an empire’s holiday declared over a Jewish orphan’s coronation with no one in the court aware of it.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Rabanus Maurus

Commentary on Esther · Written before 856.

proposed

It says "in the course of time," i.e. once the five ages of the world—during which the posterity of the Fathers was gaining ground, and the institution of the Law was flourishing among the Jews—had come to an end, and a sixth age was at …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

) and concluded that she was the lady that would win the prize, and she did win it. (2.) The king himself fell in love with her. She was not solicitous, as the rest of the maidens were, to set herself off with artificial beauty; she required nothing but just what was appointed for her (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

Now when the turn of Esther the daughter of Abihail,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

She required nothing - She left this entirely to her friend Hege, who seems to have been intent on her success. She therefore left her decorations to his judgment alone, and went in that dress and in those ornaments which he deemed most suitable.

The words behind it

34 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וּבְהַגִּ֣יעַand when arrived

    uvehagia'H5060 →150 times

  • תֹּר־[the] turn of

    tor-H8447 →

  • אֶסְתֵּ֣רEsther

    ʾesterH635 →55 times

  • בַּת־[the] daughter of

    bat-H1323 →588 times

  • אֲבִיחַ֣יִלAbihail

    ʾavichayilH32 →

  • דֹּ֣ד[the] uncle of

    dodH1730 →

  • מָרְדֳּכַ֡יMordecai

    maredokhaiH4782 →60 times

  • אֲשֶׁר֩whom

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • לָקַֽח־he had taken

    lakach-H3947 →966 times

  • ל֨וֹof him

    lo

  • לְבַ֜תto a daughter

    levatH1323 →588 times

  • לָב֣וֹאto go

    lavo'H935 →2568 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • לֹ֤אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • בִקְשָׁה֙she requested

    vikshahH1245 →225 times

  • דָּבָ֔רanything

    davarH1697 →1440 times

  • כִּ֠יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אִ֣םexcept

    ʾimH518 →1069 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥ר[that] which

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • יֹאמַ֛רhe said

    yomarH559 →5305 times

  • הֵגַ֥יHegai

    hegaiH1896 →4 times

  • סְרִיס־[the] eunuch of

    seris-H5631 →42 times

  • הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • שֹׁמֵ֣ר[the] keeper

    shomerH8104 →468 times

  • הַנָּשִׁ֑יםof the women

    hanashimH802 →781 times

  • וַתְּהִ֤יand she was

    vatehiH1961 →3559 times

  • אֶסְתֵּר֙Esther

    ʾesterH635 →55 times

  • נֹשֵׂ֣אתbearing

    nosetH5375 →656 times

  • חֵ֔ןfavor

    chenH2580 →69 times

  • בְּעֵינֵ֖יin [the] eyes of

    beeineiH5869 →887 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • רֹאֶֽיהָ׃[those who] saw her

    roeihaH7200 →1300 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Esther 4:14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”9 worksSong of Solomon 6:9but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the favorite of the mother who bore her. The maidens see her and call her blessed; the queens and concubines sing her praises.7 worksEsther 2:3and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.6 worksActs 7:10and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.5 worksEsther 9:29So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.5 worksEsther 2:7And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.5 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Esther 8:1That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her.5 worksSong of Solomon 8:10I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I have become in his eyes like one who brings peace.2 works2 Kings 9:32He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.2 worksEsther 2:8When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Acts 7:10

    and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 3:4

      Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.

    • 2 Timothy 4:18

      And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

    • Proverbs 2:6

      For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

    • Genesis 48:16

      the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow…

    • Psalms 22:24

      For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.

  • Through

    Song of Solomon 6:9

    but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the favorite of the mother who bore her. The maidens see her and call her blessed; the queens and concubines sing her praises.

    it leads to

    • Song of Solomon 2:14

      O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is…

    • Genesis 30:13

      Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

    • Psalms 45:9

      The daughters of kings are among your honored women; the queen stands at your right hand, adorned with the gold of Ophir.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About Esther

Esther Before the King, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Esther Before the King, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Esther: the study guide →Read Esther 2 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Esther.

Read on in Esther 2 →